Pedaling Parsons Friday July 11, 08

Today we started out from Connelsville UMC. We only rode about 45 miles to finish the tour at McKeesport, Pa. At the lunch break we took pictures of all the new riders and support team, as well as all the families on the tour. There is also a picture of Kim Anderson's leg to celebrate the fact that his artificial knee now has 275 bicycle trail miles on it. It should be well broken in, but hopefully not broken like three spokes in my back wheel.

The last day of the tour is kind of sad. Yes our butts are glad that the torture we put them through the past week will soon be over. And we are glad we will soon be back home to see our family and sleep in our own beds. But the tour has been a marvelous, beautiful adventure. We saw new things, met new friends, experienced God's presence in new ways, and laughed right out loud many times with pure delight. We received a beautiful welcome at all the places we stayed. It has been a great week.

So far we have raised $11, 000 for Sam's House. Each morning during devotions, Tom Lundin shared a little anecdote about this orphanage which was started by his wife's brother Cris. My favorite was the story of when they took the kids on a field trip and a stranger paid for their dinner. One of the kids suggested they should invite him over to their house. The feel good about their house and are proud of it. This is a beautiful thing. You can read some of these stories for yourself on their website: http://www.samshouse.org/.

We had 25 people ranging in age from 10 to 70, six families, and the fantastic four support team members. Doug and Debbie Winters and Andrew and Becky Gifford did a great job getting to the parks and setting up the breaks and lunches. At the end of every day when we had all showered and crashed on our air mattresses for a nap before dinner, they were all still working getting ready for the next day. Each morning when we got up, the coffee was already brewed and breakfast was already set out because they got up before anyone else. Each day they had to scramble to beat us to the location for the next break because they couldn't leave until after we all got on the trail and they packed everything up in the trailers. Without them, this mission would have truly been impossible. The riders and the kids and workers at Sam's House are very appreciative of the contribution of this fantastic four. Your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

I can't wait until September for the Pedaling Parsons Road Tour September 8-12. We will start at North Canton Grace UMC on Monday and end there on Friday after riding to Cadiz, Coshocton, Mt. Vernon, and Wooster. It's not too late to sing up for the September Ride. Just contact me for details.

Happy Trails In Christ,

Don Richards

Pedaling Parsons Thursday July 10, 08

We all slept like babies at the Union Mission. We were up crying every hour. The trains made noises I never heard before. A group of us who decided to ride the trail over the mountain through the Cumberland Gap left before breakfast so we could get an early start on a 90 mile day. The ride over the mountain had spectacular green patchwork vistas and 4 tunnels, including the Big Savage tunnel. The climb was 23 miles on a grade of about 3-6 %. They took a picture of us before we left just in case they had send in a rescue team.

Today we met Paul from Cologne, Germany. He came to the U.S. to meet a doctor at the Cleveland Clinic who is doing research on forced exercise to treat Parkinson's disease. He has found that by putting a Parkinson's patient on the back of a tandem bicycle and riding at a cadence of 80-90 for 25 miles, the natural chemicals released in the brain reduce the symptoms of the disease by 30% for up to two weeks. Paul was going to meet the doctor and ride with him in the Ragbray ride across Iowa to raise money for further research. Go to http://www.pedalingforparkensons/ for more information.

The mystery of the blue gunk that kept appearing on Ken's leg (see photo from yesterday's blog) was solved today. It turns out that apparently the bike shop where he got his bike tuned up, put blue slime (a flat tire sealant) in his tire. The tire got punctured and flinging out the gunk with every rotation. Never use this stuff. It adds weight to your wheels and doesn't work anyway.

Got to Connelsville ready for showers after a pretty good climb from the river up to the YMCA. The showers weren't quite ready for us because no one told the custodian we were coming. But we won him over and the showers were great.

Staying at Christ UMC. No trains. Ready for a good night's rest.

Happy Trails In Christ,

Don

Pedaling Parsons Wednesday, July 9, 2008

During devotions Doug shared the story of a boy he saw on a bike on Tuesday afternoon. The kid popped a wheelie and Doug just looked at him. The kid said, "This is my mom's beauty shop, and I'm allow to do this right here." Sounded good to Doug.

Today we rode 61 miles on the trail from Hancock to Cumberland, Md. It was a great day on the trail. The big mystery of the day is: "What is the blue gunk that keeps showing up on Ken's leg?" It was there at the afternoon break and again at end of the trail. We all rode the same trail and no one else got slimed. Checked his bike out, and nothing is coming from the bike. We met Alex and Carl from the DC area who were riding to Cumberland also. We invited them to have lunch with us. We said, "We Methodist know how to eat." They couldn't argue with that.

We received a great welcome at the Union Rescue Mission. We ate with the other people staying at the mission. They will also feed us breakfast in the morning.

Probably won't get much sleep tonight. The mission is right next to the train station and passenger trains are loading and unloading all night. Tomorrow morning the group is going to trailer the bikes ahead to avoid a 20 mile incline, with a 3000 feet elevation gain, and cut the day day down to a manageable ride. But Larry Hinkle has a sponsor who pledged a dollar per mile if Larry rides the who trail. So Larry, Dave Powell, and I are going to leave early and do 90 miles on the trail, including the 20 climb. If I don't post an entry tomorrow, it's probably because I feel asleep in the shower and drowned.

Happy Trails In Christ

Don

Pedaling Parsons Tuesday July 8, 2008

Today started with a great downhill from Harper's Ferry UMC to the Potomac River. A lady stopped me half way down the hill because on of the guys showered at her house Monday night and left his razor in her bathroom. Today was a beautiful day on the trail. We met some new friends who were spelunking in a cave just off the tow path. We went for a photo opp in front of the cave, but didn't go too far in. Could have been a bear or bat in there. John and Tommy had a flat on the tandem. I was amazed the the Lundin pit crew, including father, son, grandfather Bill and uncle Tom; managed to fix the flat by patching in on the bike. They couldn't get the wheel off because we didn't have a wrench. We got to Hancock, Maryland and found a great welcome at the Hancock UMC. Even have a wireless Internet connection, hence the posts.

Pedaling Parsons Monday July 7

Pedaling Parsons Monday, July 7, 2008Arrived at Great Falls UMC 12:30 AM, three hours and thirty minutes past my usual bed time. The church provided a great breakfast for us. Who said, "Real men don't eat quiche?" It was great. The pastor's daughter is biking across the country with "Bike Build" to raise money for Habitat for Humanity.Monday was a day of mud. We decided to re-name the C & O Towpath Trail to the RRR trail (Rocks, Roots, and Ruts). But who's complaining? We got to Harper's Ferry W. Va. with no rain, and we got to meet some new friends along the way. Tom, Penny, and Jacob from Dayton are riding the trail from Pittsburgh to D.C. Tom made this special bike to carry Penny as well as a trailer with all their gear. They are camping along the way. We invited them to join us for lunch and they did.

All the rides are doing great.

Pedaling Parsons Launch With Prayer

Today the Pedaling Parsons began a six-day journey that will shape their life's as well as the lives of others. The group, consisting of riders ranging in age from 10 to 73, gathered in the lot North Canton Grace United Methodist Church to pack their bikes and gear, and circle in prayer, before heading to Great Falls Va. to begin their July tour of the Great Allegheny Passage, a trail that goes from Washington DC to Pittsburgh, Pa. Each day they will ride 60-80 miles on the trail. And each night they will "camp" in a host United Methodist Church. A typical day goes like this:

6:00 AM-Rise, pack, and load the trailers.

6:30 AM-Bagels with peanut butter, Bananas, Cheerios, Coffee, Juice

7:15 AM-Devotions

7:45 AM-Pump up the bike tires and fill water bottles

8:00 AM-Hit the trail

10:00 AM Morning Break-More bananas, power bars and Gator Aide

Noon- Trail Lunch at trail side park

2:00 PM-Afternoon Break- more body fuel

4:00 PM-Load the Bikes and go to showers

6:00 PM-Dinner at host church.

7:00 PM-Evening Program for host church

9:00PM ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Why? They are riding this year to raise money for Sam's House, an orphanage in Nepal.

How can I support the project?

Please pray that we could have a good witness for the Lord and grow in our faith.

You could make a donation for Sam's House. Just send a check made out to "Pedaling Parsons" to Grace United Methodist Church, 1720 Schneider St. NW, North Canton, Ohio 44720.

You could follow our journey as this blog is updated each day of the trip.

Thanks for your support.

Happy Trails In Christ,

Don Richards

Getting Ready For July Tour

I am so excited to ride the Great Allegheny Passage with all my friends.

We have 29 people going on the ride this year.

We will all gather at NC Grace UMC lot Sunday afternoon to load and get sent off with prayer. Praise the Lord!